completely stopped yesterday after a taskforce was set up to establish why officers had fallen sick.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott launched an inquiry first thing yesterday morning after learning that a number of Policemen had needed hospital treatment after breathing in chemical solvents.

He ordered a team of architects and environmentalists scrutinise the method used by the sub-contracting firm to find out what went wrong and why the area was not at first cleared.

But in the meantime, he said no work would be carried out at McBeath Block at Prospect until all questions had been answered and he was sure no one was at risk.

The Royal Gazette alerted Mr. Scott to the asbestos drama on Thursday night.

Yesterday, he said he was very concerned about the incident and the health of the officers involved.

And he said he had spoken to Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay to express his regret.

"I have requested that all work be stopped totally on the site and we have a team of people in place who are investigating the issue,'' he said.

"I want to know how they plan to proceed because we want to be sure this never happens again.'' Works and Engineering contracted Bermuda Water Consultants to remove the asbestos tiles from the unoccupied office block at Prospect, but the work was further contracted out to a subsidiary company called Total Environmental Solutions.

Police asbestos work halted Work to remove the tiles from the empty building began on Monday, but by Wednesday officers in adjacent blocks were complaining of sore throats and general malaise.

About eight of them were then taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital on Thursday, where they were treated and released with advice that they regularly flush out their throats with fluids.

Health & Safety and Environmental Officers were immediately drafted in to establish a safety zone at Prospect and to asses the situation.

Police have since been told that the chemical solvents used in the removal of the tiles were responsible, and that their effects were short-term and not considered serious.

The contractor also assured Police there were no asbestos particles in the air.

But Mr. Scott said he was very concerned.

He added: "I am glad to report that we followed all of the procedures set out by Health and Safety, and even went a little further.

"We actually had Bermuda Water Consultants prepare an asbestos building survey procedure for us. They, in actual fact, monitored the quality of the air before and during the work.

"But what has transpired is that the company (Total Environmental Solutions) were using a new process for the first time.

"They were using a product that allows them to release the tiles from the mastic without breaking them. The result of that, it appears, is the release of the chemical solvents into the air.'' But the matter does not end there.

He added: "At no time was there a question of asbestos being in the air, or anyone suffering asbestos contamination.

"However, the company maintains that no matter which method it used, there would have been some level of discomfort to anyone in the area.